| “The hardest part has been trying to get ‘Risk Assessment/Hazard Identification’ documents from Suppliers,” sighed a New South Wales Municipal Council’s Occupational Health & Safety Practitioner, “They just look at you as if you’re mad!”
 Caption: The Husqvarna ZTR iZ4821 is conditionally registered with ROPS, warning light and seat-belt. The OHS Practicioner has identified a risk that could accrue from an operator’s foot slipping off the brake and getting caught on the accelerator pedal that could be eliminated by incorporating a “cupped heel” in the foot pedals and increasing foot-pedal friction by corrugating the surface.
The replies to initial inquiries ranged from: “We’ve never had to do this before….” to “Don’t know what you are talking about - (hang-up)”
As recently as a mere ten months ago, this Council did not have a single “Risk Assessment/Hazard Identification” document (as required by OHS legislation) from either a Supplier and/or Retailer that had furnished them with plant or equipment. The fact that there is a requirement for Importers, Manufacturers, Wholesalers and Retailers of Plant & Equipment to provide Employers of staff using their products with the relevant Risk Assessment/Hazard Identification documents didn’t seem to manage to motivate them to comply. Even as we go print, this Municipality has yet to receive all the Risk Assessment/Hazard Identification documents it requires to fulfil its own OHS Risk Assessment/Hazard Identification responsibilities.
Risk Assessment/Hazard Identification Documents
Reluctantly Employers around Australia are removing OHS from the “Too Hard Basket”. Advertisements for OHS Officers are now appearing regularly in newspaper employment sections. This Council’s Occupational Health & Safety Practitioner has been trying to methodically work his way through the OHS minefield for about a year. It has been a cost – at least in the short term.
“Many Organisations remain (or prefer to remain) unaware of their OHS responsibilities. They just see OHS as dollars-and-cents expense – I see it as an investment in our staff,” he says. “They are made of flesh-and-blood and that should never be forgotten.” This Council has about 450 employees, about a quarter of whom work with OPE, mainly in its Parks & Gardens and Construction areas.
“It may be today’s ‘dollars-and-cents expense’, but it’s tomorrow’s ‘dollars-and-cents savings’ in reduced insurance premiums, sick leave, personal injury and property damage claims and, of course, WorkCover fines.”
“OHS requires a cultural change in thinking,” he explains. “Change is difficult at the best of times. It only gets harder the larger the organisation.” However, OHS issues will force us all to change. The legislation is in place so, whether we want to accept it or not, the environment we all work in has altered forever.
OHS is about to significantly alter the council’s purchasing approach. All employees (about 25%) involved in the acquisition of Plant & Equipment have undertaken OHS courses that will help them to address equipment Health & Safety issues before even the items are purchased.
Purchasing
OHS issues now feature prominently in all purchasing decisions. “Initial Purchases” of all “Services, Materials, Equipment, Plant Services (purchased or hired) and all Subcontractors” are subjected to the following four basic questions:
 Caption: Before work, Parks & Streetscapes Coordinatorexplains the official written “Unsafe Work Practice Notification” regarding steel-toe-caped safety-boots when operating OPE. The Park PMO can’t see why he needs them when using the ZTR. OHS Practitioner explains risks. The PMO reluctantly agrees and changes his footwear.
hazards and risks does the proposed purchase pose?
How does the proposed item/service deal with those risks?
What further will the organisation need to do to eliminate or control the risks & hazards associated with the proposed purchase?
Who was consulted over this purchase?
Further purchases of items or services that have undergone complete OHS evaluation are covered by the “Initial Purchase” assessment.
“Initial Purchase” rules apply to both “families” of products (eg brushcutters) and individual models. A Supplier’s “Risk Assessment/Hazard Identification” document is critical in this evaluation process, as is that which a Retailer should provide.
“90% of the Council’s ‘Risk Assessment’ comes from these documents; when they’re provided…” our OHS Practitioner says. It should outline all OHS risks associated with the use, transport or storage of the equipment or substance and what control strategies are in place, or need to be in place before use, transport or storage begins.
Purchasing Officers must consult with all Council Employees and Supervisors who will be required to work with the equipment or substance prior to any purchasing decisions being made.
After a purchase decision has been made the next step is a review of safe work procedures. This should consider amending practices to meet the requirements of the new purchase. It should also review the information, training, supervision and “Personal Protective Equipment” (PPE) required by Supervisors and Employees using the equipment or substance.
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Contractors
“You can contract out the work – but you can’t contract away the responsibility,” the Council’s OHS Practitioner explains. While the contractors have their own responsibility to address OHS issues involved in performing their work, the manager of the workplace (in this case the NSW Municipality) retains its “duty of care” to all present on its premises or working under contract to it.
Contractors are required to demonstrate:
How they will ensure compliance with Council’s Safety Management Plan
They have Safe Work Method Statements for all tasks to be undertaken.
Subcontractor & Supplier OHS compliance
Interface management between Suppliers & Subcontractors ensuring OHS compliance
All Subcontractors and Employees meet OHS training requirements
OHS OPE Issues
The following key issues have been identified at this New South Wales Municipal Council:
Vibration
 Caption: Maintaining turf nature strips: 18” Victa 4-stroke Ute (additional fixed deflector guard); Victa Tilt-a-Cut edger; Stiga Park (conditionally registered – hazard lights & rear discharge deck); Honda GX35 4-stroke brushcutter. Warning signage.
Vibration issues are involved in all OPE operation. Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) exposure can result in a range of health effects collectively known as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). The most well known of these is vibration “Reynaulds Syndrome” or “White Finger”, but other effects include damage to sensory nerves, muscles and joints in the hands and arms.
“Whole Body Vibration” (WBV), is associated with back pain alongside other factors such as poor posture and heavy lifting. WBV risks are associated with the operation of vehicles like ride-on mowers. Vibration from the machinery is transmitted to the operator through the seat or feet. The NSW OHS Practitioner was very interested in PEA’s article outlining the new EU vibration directive (PEA June 2005 pps 24-31)
Noise
Like vibration, exposure to high noise levels can cause both immediate, or a long-term cumulative damage to employees. All staff must wear earmuffs when operating noisy plant & equipment. The council has chosen 85dB(A) at the Operator’s Ear as the level requiring action. Like Vibration, Noise exposure is minimised by rotating work functions among staff within a workgroup.
Chainsaws
 Caption: Workshop: Kubota F1900 gearbox. Even with repairs not directly connected with a safety devices, staff must ensure apparatus are operating and sign-off “safe”.
Chainsaws are widely acknowledged as potentially dangerous items of equipment (“The most dangerous thing that can be operated without needing a licence”). All arborists and tree-loppers with this municipality are certified chainsaw operators and attend complete refresher courses every two years. This is also a requirement for all contractors who might be required to operate a chainsaw. Even if they posses a chainsaw certificate they are obliged to demonstrate their competency to the satisfaction of Council Supervisors before being allowed to commence work.
Wood-Chippers
A wood-chipper being operated in a council yard was at the centre of the infamous “Abor” case. In that instnace a casual Shire of Yass Employee amputated his arms after immobilising the “dead-man’s handle” by climbing onto it. This NSW Municipality required the Australian importer of the US-made units to personally train all staff who would be operating the machines. Council’s wood-chippers are serviced daily and have extended chutes.
Green Card
As this Council’s OHS Practitioner has a Certificate IV in Workplace Training & Assessment he personally provides all staff with Construction Industry Training & Induction (the old “Green Card”). While this might not be technically required in every situation, the principles and disciplines contained in it are a valuable foundation for employees. Street mowing and tree gangs are required to use similar signage and principles in their work procedures.
Workshop
This NSW Council’s workshop is less than two years old and incorporates many improvements from its predecessor. As is the case with many situations, the workshop has a dual OHS function. Firstly, all work practices there have to be safe, as well as obvious things like lifting practices they must take into account the potential impact of less visible accidents like spillages. At the same time workshop staff must ensure that all plant and equipment is “safe” when it leaves the workshop. They have a responsibility to report equipment that is useable, but in their opinion “unsafe” and prevent them from being used by staff.
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